Google meets Blackle!!

[shakkai]

Originally Posted by kavanaru

wow!! finally they did it... but not yet in google.ch

ok, but that's great anyway

Thanks! need to update my favorites...

Its not permanent, Ramón. Just for the one day.

They do give an reason for not making it permanent. The information that they have on the other page is that now that people are mostly now moving to the flat panel LCD monitors, it actually doesn't make any difference to the energy consumption.

Anyway, I think it was good of google to do this. The more people and companies that show support for making changes and saving energy, the more chance we have that everyone will make some changes for the better.

Marty, I think it needs to be a 10 foot pole!!!

[kavanaru]

yes, I saw it afterwards. yesterday I was in a hurry, so had not enough time to check and "play" with new black google

I had thought they already combined oth, as they had promised in the past... or at least update blackle to have the same features as google. That would be a great poit even is many (i would not say most!) are changing to LCD, there is still a large majority using standard monitors...

as per the no-energy-hour I joined them too, and actually for a longer period... I was most of the time not at home, and disconected all energy wasters but the freedge, what only means, that I had disconnected the internet router, and my chids received NO ARTIFICAL LIGHT for one day (even if my appartment look like a gadgets-freek's house, there are no unnecessary stand-by product on at almost anytime)... and yes, my chids are still happy

[Jerry Delaney]

When I read 'Goodgolly's' post, it reminded me of an actual event that I found rather humerous. Several years ago (I believe in the 70's) the plant where I was employed undertook a cost savings measure and removed the fluorescent bulbs from every other light fixture. Some months later they initiated an employee contest to come up with safety slogans with the winner to receive a $500 check. An enterprising young man in the R&D department submitted the following entry -
"I'm lying in the stairwell,
I think my leg is broken.
If there was enough light to see,
I'd write a safety slogan!"
Needless to say, he did not receive the $500!

[goodgollymissmolly]

Pretty good, Jerry! You probably remember the famous managers school example of morale vs change. GE was noted back in the mid 20th century as a tough employer. In order to measure the effects of change they turned out part of the lights and employee morale increased. Then they turned them back on and it increased again. The lesson from that story is be careful what you get excited about because someone may be testing you.

I always get tickled when I realize that each generation of teenagers think they invented sex and each generation of adults think they should repeal sex. Predictions of the end of the earth have been going around throughout human history as the Bible is so quick to point out. Has not happened yet. If it does, who cares? Nobody reading this will be here to experience it unless it's a catastrophic event like an asteroid collision.

Meanwhile, I'm not going to hasten my own demise by driving a sardine can death trap. Doesn't make sense to me to get good mileage on my way to my funeral. For those of you who are demonstrating about CO2 from electricity production, let me remind you that 30 years ago you or your parents protested nuclear power plants that do not produce CO2. Need to be consistent, I think.

Some idiots have for years suggested that Detroit and the oil companies have conspired to keep high mileage cars out of production. If you think that, you do not understand capitalism and competition. Demonstrations are the arm waving tactics of the hardly able. More often than not they prevent solutions rather than encourage them. No matter what solutions are suggested, some group protests that they are being ignored. It's a never ending convention of self interest groups. How about we ban home computers and internet message boards? How about banning greenhouses like mine that REALLY make some CO2? Nooooo!!! Let's make somebody else do something....not me!! How about making Chinese back into coolies or Arabs back into wanderers that way we can make progress.............................right!

So what are you saying Jim, let's just give up? Actually no. I'm not. When it becomes profitable to do something then an able person or group will find a way to do it to make money. Meanwhile all this hand wringing is just getting in the way...relax, you only get one life. I suggest you spend it thinking about something you have control over. Obsessing about things you can't control is a form of insanity. I hate to seem to criticize people who are trying to do something useful, but isn't it an oxymoron for Al Gore (whom I like) to live in a 5000 sq ft house and fly around the world to collect $1,000,000 awards for his environmental efforts?

[flhiker]

GEEZ! It was only 1 HOUR. Sorry but trying to turn a simple demonstration into a security and moral problem is stretching it a bit don't you think? Just sounds like a lot of whining and complaining for something you were NOT going to be apart of anyway! Sorry OB'ers I just had to make this point I'm done now!

[Marty]

goodgoolly, I noticed lately that you're pretty keen on getting in people's faces with your posts and opinions and you've managed to turn people off and run a few threads to the ground.

I hate to moderate, but just wanted to remind you that this is an orchid board and we aren't too big on moral and political discussions. Perhaps a forum that specializes completely in OFF TOPIC and/or political subject matter would be more suited for your heated argumentation and passionate debates.

I know you have some valid points, but OB is hardly a venue for it...for the sake of others please take it down a notch.

You're talking bull fighting with alpaca farmers

[camille1585]

I think it's shame that most of Europe didn't take part in this symbolic 'lights out'. Especially the Netherlands. All the greenhouses have their powerful 400W lights burning until late into the night for the plants. When I was living near The Hague last year I was shocked by the amount of greenhouse lights. On cloudy nights the sky has a bright eerie orange glow. They run the lights 16 hours a day.

For my part, I did turn off everything, and realized how utterly dependant on electricity I am. But it was nice to spend that hour reading a book by candlelight, something I have not done in a long time because of my busy life.

[kiki-do]

Every now and then it is good to take stock in our behavioral patterns and see where we can modify our wastefull activities that are harmful to the planet in the longhaul. We don't need to go to extremes, but any little bit helps. I think it helps us stay in check and it helps this world in a small but very real way. I feel better knowing we are doing something positive.
We got hit hard here in Maine during "The Ice Storm of '98." I only lost power for 4 days, but some were a couple weeks. I was fortunate to have woodstoves, including a kitchen cookstove. It was so hard at first trying to think of ways and means to cook, flush the toilets, bathe, etc. We had a kerosene lattern and several flashlights. It was not easy until we seem to find a groove and then it became fun. My sons were teens then and we started to haul out the cribbage boards, game boards, cards, and books. Everything was down, so no school. We have some of the best memories from that giant inconvenience. Just sitting around the stoves talking and laughing together instead of watching TV was so nice.
I just think sometimes it's a good thing to take a personal inventory and see if we could make some positive changes. Perhaps before being thrown in a situation that is permanently inconvenient.

[flhiker]

Nice Story Kiki, Making the best of a not so great time can be a challenge and rewarding. I can relate as well, being from a Hurricane prone area, we have had to deal with power outages a few times Thur the years. We live with conservation in mind. I have a 3 bedroom house with No central Air conditioning, we do have a small window A/C's in 2 of the bedrooms to deal with the heat of the summer, but usually on run them when we sleep. We also replaced all the standard light bulds to LED and fluorescence. And we replaced our Water heater to a high efficiency one and when time and money allows we will be adding a solar system.